Devices, including electronic devices such as set-top box assemblies, computers, smart phones, vehicle control systems, and others, commonly include one or more components that generate a heat. Such heat often needs to be transferred away from such component (hereafter, a “component” or a “heat generating component”) to facilitate desire operating conditions for the component. Such heat transfer may often occur by use of thermal conduction between the component and a heat plate or similar assembly, where the heat plate is configured to further transfer the heat received from the component into an internal or external environment or to other components. Commonly, the heat plate uses thermal transfer mechanisms such as conduction, convection, radiation, evaporative cooling, active cooling, and other approaches known in the art for transferring heat.
More specifically, one approach for heat transfer in devices is to use a heat plate assembly to conduct heat away from one or more components in the device and across a wider area to enhance convective heat dissipation. Such a heat plate assembly often extends across a substantial portion of one or more of a device's surface enclosures, such as across a top enclosure, a side enclosure, or a bottom enclosure. The one or more heat plate assemblies are often configured to contact one or more heat generating components in the device, while often not contacting other non-heat generating components. That is, the heat plate assembly is often configured to transfer heat away from the one or more heat generating components and not transfer such heat to other components. Often the heat plate assembly needs to establish a firm contact with a heat generating component to transfer heat efficiently and effectively. Yet, such heat plate assemblies are often configured into and/or onto an enclosure of the device, which when in an open configuration does not contact the heat generating component and, when the device is in a closed or assembled configuration, does not directly contact the heat generating component without the use of intervening members.
Further, wide variances often exist between physical devices and design tolerances. That is, component heights, gaps between enclosure surfaces often materialize during manufacturing that present challenges in establishing the desired contact between a heat plate assembly and a given heat generating components. To bridge such gaps while considering the above mentioned and other deviations between design and actual devices, a spring or similar assembly is often used. Examples of uses of such spring members can be found, for example in U.S. Patent Publication 20170196121, entitled “Self-Adjustable Heat Spreader System for Set-Top Box Assemblies”, which published on Jul. 6, 2017, in the name of inventors Trygubova et al., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by references.
Accordingly, various approaches are known wherein one or more flexible members, or spring-like materials, may be used to bridge gaps and provide a bridge between a component and a heat plate or similar assembly. Such flexible members commonly are referred at heat spreaders and are configured to extend outwards from a heat plate assembly to fill an often-variable gap between a surface of the enclosure and a heat generating component and, when the device is in an assembled configuration, without extending undue force or pressure onto the contacted surface of the heat generating component. Yet, presently available heat spreaders suffer from numerous deficiencies.
First, heat spreaders commonly include springs or similar assemblies that are fixed to a heat plate. Such fixed springs do not permit movement of the spring relative to the heat plate other than by bending or warping of the spring member. When so deflected during closing of the device enclosure, a warped or uneven contact area between the spring of the heat spreader and the contacted surface of the heat generating member often occurs. Such uneven contact often decreases the effectiveness and efficiency of heat transfer.
Second, to prevent such uneven and/or warped springs from occurring, current designs commonly use a center block area that has an enlarged center block area. The enlarged center block is configured so as to prevent warping or bending of the spring at and near the desired contact area of the spring with the component. Yet, the use of enlarged center block areas often results in design configurations that are wasteful of material, undesired and/or non-controlled bending or warping of the spring elsewhere, and prevent convective cooling of the component at and/or about the contact area between the heat generating component and the heat spreader itself.
Accordingly, a need exists for heat spreaders having springs or similar assemblies that address the above and other concerns. These and other needs are addressed by the present disclosure.